Duma leftists ask govt to initiate international tribunal on ISIS

One of the leaders of the Fair Russia parliamentary bloc has asked the Foreign Ministry to consider initiation of the international tribunal on crimes of the Islamic State group (IS, previously known as ISIS/ISIL).

MP Oleg Nilov addressed Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov with a letter stating that IS is a criminal organization that needs to be countered jointly by all nations of the civilized world. The lawmaker added that that this is the first such threat since World War II.

Nilov called IS “a religious union of newly-risen fascists” and condemned their policy of terror and killings committed with stunning cruelty.

The MP said in comments with Izvestia daily that the main objective behind his letter was to remind that major international institutions must counter the threats that jeopardize the world as a whole. IS is currently the number one threat, but still there is no international tribunal for it and no international sanctions against persons, groups and states that cooperate with terrorists.

“I suspect this is because a court process could put on trial many political, state and financial figures from countries that are allies of the United States,” he suggested.

The Russian Foreign Ministry said in comments that Nilov’s letter would be considered by diplomats in working order within a 30-day period.

Moscow recognized IS and the affiliated group Al-Nusra Front as terrorists in December 2014. This means that Russian citizens are currently prohibited from participating in these organizations or rendering any support to them under threat of criminal prosecution. In addition, the Foreign Ministry called upon all nations to recognize the two groups as terrorists, in line with resolutions passed by the UN Security Council.

This year, two major Russian Muslim unions issued fatwas against IS, denouncing the jihadist group as enemies of Islam and calling for the punishment of all its members.

Russian security officials have already acknowledged that IS poses a very real threat for Russia and its neighbors.

In April, the Federal Security Service estimated the numbers of Russian citizens fighting in Iraq on the side of Sunni extremists at 1,700. In early summer, IS said that it sided with terrorist groups from Russia’s North Caucasus, but the head of the Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov dismissed this report as a bluff.